As the demand on earth's diminishing fossil fuels increase, research and development of alternative sources of energy is rapidly expanding. To date nuclear energy and renewable energy sources are dominant when considering alternative energy sources.
In relation to nuclear energy there are many significant disadvantages in the use of this fuel: waste disposal/storage, establishment costs and risk of accident, to name but a few.
In relation to renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and wave energy, the cost associated with the establishment of a sufficiently sized plant to harness the energy is, to date, a relatively expensive alternative. Furthermore, the plant only generates energy from these sources if these sources are present. As this is not always the case, the plant may lay idle, unable to produce any energy until the wind blows, the sun is present or the swell improves. As a result, these sources are only used to supplement energy supplied through conventional means.
Furthermore the apparatus used to harness renewable energy is quite large and cannot be used in portable or smaller applications, such as vehicles to supply the required power thereto.
Another problem with renewable energy alternatives is that the plant required to harness the energy is often unsightly and due to its size requires a large area of land or fluid body area.
The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
It is an object of this invention to provide a turbine assembly which ameliorates or overcomes one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art or which provides a useful alternative.